rose-colored dinner

I am such a pushover for foods that are naturally colored in unexpected ways. I always need to get the multi-colored carrots the Coop stocks on occasion. Variegated lemons are irresistible to me. And I find that half the appeal of the Coop's heirloom tomato selection is the amazing variety of colors I can toss into my lunchtime salad. So of course I had to try a package of rosy-red Bhutanese rice.

This rice is only grown in Bhutan, a tiny country in the Himalayas bordered by India and China. Farmers use sustainable, self-sufficient practices out of necessity, as it is difficult to import chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or farm machinery in this mountainous, land-locked nation. Even if this were not the case, red rice grows well without fertilizers and tolerates most common pests, so it is largely unnecessary for farmers to use chemicals on their rice crops.*

Red rice is lightly milled, so it retains much of the fiber-rich hull but cooks as quickly as white rice. According to the distributor's packaging, it is "irrigated with 1,000 year old glacier water rich in trace minerals," a fact that leads some to claim that Bhutanese rice is even more nutritious than brown rice because the plants are able to absorb these 1,000 year old minerals as they grow. I was unable to find specific information about the nutritional content of red rice, but comparable whole grains like brown rice are high in many minerals, amino acids, B vitamins, protein, and both soluble and insoluble fiber.*

I was so excited to try this rice that I decided to make two dishes with it: Ema Datshi, a traditional Bhutanese chili and cheese stew, and a Red Rice Risotto served with a strawberry-plum compote and ginger ice cream.

Everything was outrageously delicious. The stew was simple but well-composed and tasty, even on a hot day. Real Bhutanese Ema Datshi is made with cubes of chewy yak's milk cheese, an ingredient that is unavailable in the U.S., so we substituted feta cheese instead. The stew is also supposed to be unbearably spicy, but being rather delicate-tongued ourselves, we chose to de-seed our jalapenos before adding them to the stew.

And the risotto... oh, the risotto. The ginger, vanilla, tangy fruit, and warm, nutty, creamy rice were perfect compliments and truly sang together in this dessert. If you try any of the recipes featured in this series, make it this one!

Ema Datshi

Ingredients:

1/2 lb jalapeno chilies, each sliced into four strips
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 1/2 cup of water
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 tomatoes, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb Danish feta cheese, cubed
6 sprigs cilantro

Combine chilies, onion, water, and oil in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and simmer for 3 more minutes. Add the cheese, mix and simmer for 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro, then cover and let stand for a few more minutes before serving over cooked Bhutanese red rice.

Serves 6

Adapted from Margarita's International Recipes

Red Rice Risotto

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked Bhutanese Red Rice
2 cups half & half
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped out with a spoon
6 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
4 tablespoons butter
strawberry-plum compote
2 pints ginger ice cream (or vanilla if you would prefer)

Strawberry-Plum Compote

2 pints strawberries, halved
5 - 6 plums, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water

Red Rice Risotto:
Combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds, and ginger in a large saucepan over low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Slowly stir in the rice and return to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Warm the compote in a saucepan and reserve. When the mixture is creamy, not thick, add the butter to the rice, and stir to incorporate. Place the rice into bowls, add a spoonful or two of the compote, and top with a scoop of ice cream.

Strawberry-Plum Compote:
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and place over low heat, bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, check the sweetness adding more sugar if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves 8

Adapted from WorldPantry.com

Bhutanese Rice Elsewhere on the web:

The rice harvest in Bhutan

Bhutanese food in Outlook Traveler Magazine